Ragh Redtooth
: "I am Ragh Redtooth, last ''true ''warrior of the Black Tooth Grin clan, son of Borraxx the Redskinned of the Blackrock clan. I am ''pure ''Orc. You should be in awe." :: - Ragh Redtooth, to a Warsong grunt insinuating he had Mok'nathal ancestry. The gruff, stocky orcish warrior Ragh Redtooth is a loud-mouthed dissident at best. Once a Sythegore Raider under Blackhand, he has a strong hatred for Doomhammer's influence on the new Horde, and is never afraid to voice his discontent. Never the less he remains loyal to Thrall, supporting the purpose of the new Horde, if not its spirit, and desires a strong future for the orcish race. While the savage nature of the old Horde is in his heart, and he believes that war with the Alliance is inevitable, he remembers the defeat of his clan - the now almost extinct Black Tooth Grin - with perfect clarity, and holds a fear of seeing his people subdued again. =Biography= : "You have been born into a time of war. A time of glory and honour won in battle. You will go into this new world and plunder its riches and battle its greatest champions. We are the ''Sythegore, and we are the greatest warriors this world has ever known, but you will go down in legends that will overshadow even our ''legacy. Ride hard, my son. ''For the Horde!"'' :: - Borrax Redskin, to his son as the Horde first marched through the Dark Portal Early life Born not long before the invasion of Azeroth that led to the First War, Ragh was the first son of Borraxx the Redskinned, named so because his natural skin colour had been a dark reddish brown before the fel corruption set in, and his mate Kora. Ragh himself was drafted into the Horde's armies as soon as he could hold an axe. Borrax taught his son about the warrior ways of the Blackrock clan, how they would eschew spies and assassins and instead always face their enemies head on. He ingrained the concepts of loyalty, courage and honour deeply into his impressionable son, who grew up hearing of wars against the mighty Draenei, unaware of the true nature of the conflict and the atrocities committed by his kin. In time he was shaped into a disciplined soldier, skilled at the hit-and-run tactics practiced by the Raiders. During the First War, Ragh rode several sorties as a Raider in quick hit-and-run attacks on poorly defended settlements. Disheartened by the prospect of hunting down defenseless farmers and civilians, Ragh and other younger Raiders caused more ruckuss than damage, attempting to draw the attention of the Stormwind Army and the Knights of the Brotherhood of the Horse. The heavily armoured Knights and their fast steeds proved powerful opponents, killing numerous members of Ragh's unit, even though the Raider band was largely successful in these skirmishes. Ragh had found his calling in going toe-to-toe with the champions of Stormwind, and considered himself and his Sythegore brethren above the rank-and-file Grunts who spent their time slaughtering less worthy foes and civilians unable to put up a fight. As the Horde closed in on Stormwind for the final battle of the war, Warlord Borraxx promoted his son to Raider Captain, and the young warrior led his wolfpack into the city as it burned, relishing in his new command. By his father's teachings he led his Raiders to hunt down soldiers and militia, passing over civilians and children not out of compassion, but out of a lust for glory and honour. The Second War But dark times loomed ahead as Blackhand the Destroyer, whom the young Ragh idolized as the most supreme warrior of all, was usurped and murdered by Orgrim Doomhammer, who became derisively known as "The Backstabber" by many. The Sythegore Raiders were disbanded as Doomhammer feared they would turn against him under the leadership of Blackhand's sons, Rend and Maim. In defiance, many Raiders joined Rend and Maim anyway, forming a new clan branching from the Blackrock clan, which became known as the Black Tooth Grin clan. Ragh was one of the first to volunteer, seething with hatred for Doomhammer's betrayal of his idol but unable to challenge the new Warchief in any fashion. Ragh continued to serve with the Black Tooth Grin clan, bonding with the warriors who had once been his wolfpack, but frustrated by the absence of a good fight, as the Black Tooth Grin were tasked by Doomhammer - who no doubt wanted the troublesome sons of Blackhand out of his way - to guard the Dark Portal back to Draenor. On occasion the Black Tooth Grin would venture northward into Khaz Modan to support the Horde war effort against the Dwarves, but for the most part they remained in the Swamp of Sorrows and the charred remnants of the Kingdom of Azeroth. Fall of the Black Tooth Grin After Gul'dan's betrayal begun tearing the Horde apart - forever cementing Ragh's view of Doomhammer as an inept weakling incapable of leading the Horde - the Alliance pushed the Horde out of Lordaeron and Khaz Modan with frightening speed and efficiency. As Doomhammer's forces retreated towards the Dark Portal after their defeat at Blackrock Spire, the Black Tooth Grin clan geared up for the final battle of the conflict. Defiant - or possibly merely ignorant - of their imminent annihilation by Alliance forces, the Black Tooth Grin fought with all the rage that they had bundled up after standing guard for many months, smashing the Alliance ranks in full force. Ragh rode atop his battle-worg Ratmaim, leading his unit into the fray. The battle for the Dark Portal became known as one of the bloodiest battles in the Second War, in no small part due to the Black Tooth Grin's stubborn refusal to die quietly. Eventually the Alliance emerged triumphant, nearly wiping out the Horde forces and ultimately destroying the Dark Portal itself, cutting off the survivors' chances for escape or reinforcements. In spite of heavy injuries, Ragh survived the battle, although he was easily captured by Alliance soldiers during the post-war mop-up operations and sent northward to the internment camps constructed in Lordaeron. The remainder of the Black Tooth Grin clan scattered throughout the wilderness, only to later reform behind Rend and Maim once again as the "Dark Horde" supported by the Black Dragonflight. Thus the Black Tooth Grin clan faded away, once again rejoining the Blackrock clan. Ragh would never see this reunion, however, as his immediate future lay in Lordaeron. Life in the Internment Camps In the internment camps of Lordaeron, most orcs had their spirits sapped by imprisonment and helplessness combined with the withdrawal from the fel magics that had driven them in the past. While Ragh suffered from the same withdrawal, his hatred for Doomhammer and his followers remained a constant in his life that kept him sharp. While other orcs held a deep hatred for humans because of their imprisonment, but were powerless to strike back at them, Ragh's hatred for his 'fellow' orcs gave him an outlet, and even though fights with other orcs would be broken up quickly by the guards Ragh continued, trying to keep his strength up in spite of the withdrawal and lethargy that struck deep in his body. Like all orcs Ragh was inevitably weakened though, and as the years passed his hatred could only help keep his mind sharp. He entertained himself dreaming up battle-strategies and schemes that could perhaps one day free him from the camps, even though he in reality had no way of trying. He would also more clearly define his view of honour - the lack of which he believed had led to the downfall of the Horde. Eventually Doomhammer and the young Thrall, in their campaign to free the orcs from Blackmoore's internment camps, reached the one Ragh was held in, and he fled alongside the other prisoners, rallying to the future Warchief. However Ragh's hatred for Doomhammer had only grown stronger over the years and he chose not to follow him on his crusade, instead heading into the woods of northern Lordaeron, away from the camps and Doomhammer's Horde. Renegade The New Horde =Personality and traits= : "Traitors like you will never understand what it means to be Orc. You praise Doomhammer the Backstabber when he ''destroyed ''our honour by turning on Blackhand, and you adore the Frostwolf youngster for destroying our culture by extending a hand of peace while clutching a dagger behind his back, like a Goblin would! You see his 'Allies' carry out the greatest insults to orcish honour through subterfuge and cold murder and he does nothing about it. This Horde is a stain of its former glory, populated by liars, murderers and thieves. You know ''nothing ''of what it means to be Orc." :: - Ragh Redtooth Ragh is an orc of the "Old Breed", raised from infancy to know glorious bloodshed in the name of the Horde. However his rapidly fluctuating status within the Horde meant he saw less fighting than others, and he retained a mindset ingrained in younger orcs of the time that discipline and honour were key to a fight, and that allowing yourself to succumb to blind rage was foolish and, by extension, would bring dishonour to your unit. In combat, Ragh relies on speed and quick, precise strikes to unbalance and defeat his opponents. He refuses to use underhanded tactics to prevail, relying entirely on his own skill even when outmatched. As a Raider he is not beyond using the element of surprise to gain the initiative, but he refuses to press his attack until the enemy is poised to defend itself. He rarely attacks unarmed or particularily weak opponents as a matter of honour, but he will always defend himself or his comrades against attack. He is not very trustful, and is loyal to a cause rather than individuals. He is particularily distrustful of Blood Elves and Forsaken, as he does not truly understand or trust their motives and actions, as well as Trolls, as they put much less emphasis on cultural honour than Orcs, Ogres or Tauren. Ratmaim Ragh's constant companion is Ratmaim, a brutal, mean-spirited black worg that he raised himself, and named after his first mount as a Raider during the First War. Ratmaim is a large, and very mean looking worg, carrying many trophies and signets in its saddle and leather straps, and has one ear pierced with a large bronze ring with the insignia of the Blackrock Clan engraved on it, a token from Ragh's father that he retained from his original worg of the same name. The original Ratmaim was a Draenor wolf, larger than Ragh's current companion, which was given to him as a pup by his father, then-Captain Borrax Redskin. As Ragh was raised into a warrior of the Horde, so was the black-furred pup raised to serve as his mount and ally, tearing into soft enemies with his razor-like jaws. During the First War, Ragh rode Ratmaim into battle at every opportunity, including the final battle of Stormwind, completley inseparable from his mount and lifelong comrade. Even after the Raiders were disbanded by Doomhammer, Ragh kept Ratmaim by his side as a personal mount outside of battles, and frequently had lenghty, one-sided conversations with the beast. During the final battle fought by the Black Tooth Grin, fervently defending the Dark Portal, he rode to war atop Ratmaim once more, tearing his way through the Alliance's footmen as he had done in the past. However times had changed, and the Knights of Stormwind that he had once fought with ease were now supplanted by Paladins of the Silver Hand, and he succumbed to their overhwhelming power and skill. While Ragh survived the battle, Ratmaim was killed by a hammerblow from one of the Alliance's new riders. Ever since, Ragh has carried a grudge against the Paladins, tempered by his respect for their battle-prowess. Never the less, he vowed that he would ride to battle again one day and face the greatest of the Alliance's Paladins and best them in single combat, to honour his fallen comrade. However in order to do this, he needed a new riding beast. After being set free from the internment camps of Lordaeron and subsequently leaving Doomhammer's "new" Horde behind, Ragh ventured into the wilderness of Lordaeron, seeking to put as much distance between himself and any other humanoids as possible. Deep in the forests of Silverpine he encountered a black worg, fiercely snarling at him rather than trying to slink away into the woods as most would do when he approached. Sensing the strength of the beast, Ragh was reminded of his old companion, and attempted to approach the beast to subdue it. The beast fought him with a speed that belied its size, and a ferocity that he had not witnessed since the war. Unfortunately Ragh had been weakened by his long time in the humans' internment camps, and found it difficult to subdue the beast. After a long, brutal battle, the worg was still unrelenting in its assault, and eventually perished as Ragh could not leave it wounded. Saddened by the loss of such a majestic beast, Ragh stayed by the worg's corpse, holding vigil over it to fend away scavengers, as his father had taught him that a worg rider must do for his mount. As he rested besides the great beast, having prepared a funeral pyre in a nearby glade, he heard a squeal. A pup, black as the night itself but no more than four weeks old lay huddled against the dead worg, whining quietly in grief and repeatedly nudging it, hoping to get a response. Realising that he had murdered a mother defending her only young, Ragh was wrecked with grief. He took the pup into his care as penance for his crime, and raised it as he had the first Ratmaim, to be fierce in battle and gentle with family. Ragh was no beastmaster, but he knew how to live with worgs. When they finally rejoined the Horde, Ragh and Ratmaim the Second were inseparable, although it would be some time after the foundation of Durotar that Ratmaim was big enough to be ridden by a fully geared Raider. To this day, Ratmaim accompanies his master to battle and carries him across the world as by the ancient traditions of the Sythegore Raiders. Appearance Ragh is a large, powerfully built orc warrior. His skin is bright fel-green and he has a heavy brow and dark red eyes. His brow is heavy and his piglike face seems a permanent sneer. The upper incisior once situated next to his right tusk has been removed forcibly sometime in the past, leaving a small, fleshy scar. Category:Orcs Category:Horde Characters Category:Warriors Category:Characters